Liverpool nurses protest on Crosby beach over ‘disappointing’ pay offer

The nurses gathered at the site of Antony Gormley’s iconic Another Place statues as part of the Fair Pay for Nursing campaign.
By The Newsroom
Published 9th Sep 2021, 12:49 BST
Updated 9th Sep 2021, 17:15 BST

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Nurses protesting at Crosby beach. Photo: RCNNurses protesting at Crosby beach. Photo: RCN
Nurses protesting at Crosby beach. Photo: RCN

Liverpool nurses joined colleagues across England and Wales this week to stand in a silent protest against the Government’s recent pay award for the profession.

Nurses gathered at Crosby beach, the site of Antony Gormley’s Another Place iron men statues, as part of the Royal College of Nursing’s (RCN) ‘Summer of Action’ for its Fair Pay for Nursing campaign.

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Carmel O’Boyle, Chair of the RCN’s North West Regional Board and Chair of the Greater Liverpool and Knowsley branch said: “We chose this site because it is one of the most iconic places in Liverpool and is a great meeting point for us members to get together and demonstrate how disappointed we are in the Government.

Carmel O’Boyle, Chair of the RCN’s North West Regional Board. Photo: RCNCarmel O’Boyle, Chair of the RCN’s North West Regional Board. Photo: RCN
Carmel O’Boyle, Chair of the RCN’s North West Regional Board. Photo: RCN

“COVID-19 has really highlighted the role of the nurses and the complex skills the modern nurse does, but to be clear, we are not asking for a COVID-19 reward for doing our job, we are asking for what’s due to us. Ten years of being underpaid and over worked; we’re truly overworked, stressed about paying our bills and feeding our families – sinking in the sand just like these statues.”

A local Crosby sandwich shop, Spoilt for Choice, donated lunch to the protesting nurses.

What are the issues over nurses pay?

In July 2021 the UK Government announced a 3% pay award for nurses in England and the Welsh Government has followed suit. With inflation expected to rise to 3.7% by the end of this year, the RCN claims the 3% deal is effectively a pay cut.

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The RCN want to secure a 12.5% pay increase for all nursing staff, union members working in the NHS in England and Wales have until 13 September to vote in the RCN’s ballot on whether the 3% rise for 2021-22 is acceptable or not.

NHS Digital data shows that as of June this year, there were almost 40,000 nursing vacancies in the NHS in England, up from nearly 35,000 in March.

The Department of Health and Social Care was contacted for a comment.

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Related topics:NursesEnglandLiverpoolWales

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